The reason people with MS or multiple sclerosis stop walking is due to nerve damage and muscle weakness, spasticity, muscle tightness and ataxia which is a problem with coordinating muscles.
Fatigue, balance problems, sensory changes and nerve conduction also cause people with MS to stop walking or have trouble walking.
The slowed down or altered nerve conduction in MS can make it harder for the persons brain to communicate with the persons legs which can then lead to stiffness, spasticity and muscle weakness.
The best exercise for multiple sclerosis is aerobic exercise which includes rowing, fast step ups, using a stepper or cross trainer and running or cycling.
Other exercises that are good for multiple sclerosis are strength training such as using weights, cable pulleys, weight machines and doing stretching, posture exercises and water based exercises.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease which damages the protective coating around your nerve fibers in your brain and spinal cord.
The damage from multiple sclerosis to the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord can cause communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body which leads to several different symptoms.
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis include blurred or double vision, or red-green color distortion.
Other symptoms of multiple sclerosis include.
Pain and loss of vision.
Difficulty maintaining balance.
Difficulty walking.
Fatigue.
Muscle weakness or muscle spasms.
Numbness and tingling.
Dizziness.
Stiffness.
Tremors.
And difficulty with bowel control or bladder control.
Around 15 years after the onset of multiple sclerosis, only about 20% of people are bedridden or institutionalized.
Another 20% of people with multiple sclerosis may require a wheelchair, or use crutches, or a cane to ambulate, but fully 60% will be ambulatory without assistance and some will have little deficit at all.